Ghostly Visits
by Blue Saturday
Summary: It's always strange to wake up to the sound of your ex. It's even stranger when the ex in question is supposed to be dead. Courtney/Duncan
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Total_****_ Drama._**

"Get out." Those were the last words that Courtney Martinez can remember saying to Duncan Evans as she began to throw his belongings out onto the street. The rumors had started as soon as Duncan became friends with Gwen. They worked at the same place, liked the same things and well, they just cliqued. Too bad for Duncan that he was dating Courtney at the time. The brunette had always had her suspicions about the goth girl and her "friendship" with her boyfriend. It was only made worse when Tyler Tanner of all people came to the former C.I.T and informed the girl that he had indeed seen Duncan erm...getting it on with Gwen behind her back. Then she found the black panties.

In all honesty, Courtney knew that this was bound to happen for a while now. The couple's once playful arguments had turned hurtful, at times even physical, and they began to spend more and more time apart. A piece of her had still loved the punk very much, however, and it felt like a stab to her heart when she realized that he was sleeping around. She was betrayed, and as hard as it is to gain Courtney's trust in the first place, it was even harder to get it back. That is why she had been so cold towards Duncan towards the end of their rather rocky relationship. The same Duncan that came into her life and crawled under her skin and made her feel, well...happy. Now all she felt was hurt and anger when she thought of him. Especially anger. The last thing that she recalls about that night was Duncan calling her a heartless bitch as she slammed the door in his face.

* * *

That memory couldn't help but pass through Courtney's mind as she got ready for her date. It had been around two years since that night, and two years since she had seen that jackass. Now she had a Harvard law degree under her belt and was about to have dinner with Justin Diamond.

It was one of the swankiest restaurants in all of the North East. Night had fallen over the city of Boston and there Courtney sat across from her date picking at her appetizer. It had been the first date that she had been on since, well Duncan, and the girl definitely thought that she had upgraded.

To any onlooker, the two sitting at the table looked like the perfect couple, at least aesthetically. The young lawyer made sure that she was in the most expensive purple dress that money could buy, and that her hair was tied up in a fashionable high ponytail. She couldn't help the blush that came over her face when Justin grinned at her. He had bronzed skin, killer blue eyes and an impeccable smile. He looked like money and perfection and, naturally, Courtney approved. They had met through a mutual friend, and the first date seemed to be going well.

"So, what do you do for a living?" the brunette asked the man, while they waited for their entrees to be delivered.

"Me? Why, I model," he declared, flashing his perfect teeth at her. A model? Well that certainly is a step up from Duncan. She pushed the thoughts of her ex boyfriend away, however. She didn't want to be thinking about him.

"Oh, that's nice! Who for?"

"Oh, you know, Calvin Klein." Okay, so Justin wasn't just any model. He could tell by the look on Courtney's face that she was impressed, so he went on. "It's pretty neat. I've been all around the world. You know, Paris, Tokyo, New York City, pretty much everywhere," the man bragged.

"I've always wanted to go to Paris." This was true, it had been Courtney's dream since she was a little girl. She almost studied abroad there in college.

"Maybe I can take you one day, if the dates keep going as wonderful as this one is, beautiful." The words just rolled off of Justin's tongue. Courtney couldn't help but to smile at them. She wasn't particularly aware that Justin spent half of the date checking her out, or that he wasn't truly interested in her new job at one of the top law firms in all of Boston, and that he didn't really care about how she met her friend, Bridgette. Justin would smile politely and nod his head at the right times, and Courtney in return laughed at all of his vapid jokes and listened to him go on about his modeling career. There wasn't any real sparks, but the date still seemed to be going well.

It seemed like much longer when Justin dropped Courtney off at her apartment. They walked around the city for a while after dinner. The air had chilled like it usually did around that time of night, and Courtney wound up with Justin's jacket draped around her. It could have been a scene in one of those cliche movies that Bridgette was always forcing the brunette to watch. She kissed him on the cheek before he walked the girl to her door and he promised to call her next time he was in the city.

Courtney walked into her home replaying the date in her head. Justin was rich, attractive and successful. Three of things that she looked for most in a guy. The evening had gone well, although the girl admittedly did not have much to compare to. Courtney was normally too busy for a guy, and the last one she was with broke her heart. Bridgette had always voiced her concerns that Courtney would wind up alone because unwillingness to find a suitor. The blonde had nearly fallen out of her seat when her best friend had announced that she was going on date. She promised Courtney that she would call the girl around ten, and glancing at the clock, it seemed to be around that time. This is why Courtney took it as no surprise when she heard her home phone began to ring. The former C.I.T rolled her eyes and picked it up.

"Bridgette, I just walked in th-"

"Hello, Courtney. It's Caleb Evans. You might remember me from when you dated my brother." Well, she certainty did not expect this. Bridgette was the only one who ever called her house phone, plus she hasn't been in contact with Duncan in years.

"Um, yes, Caleb. Why are you calling? If Duncan needs a lawyer tell him that I'm not interested," she snapped. There was a long silence on the other side of the line and Courtney was about to hang up.

"There was a car accident and…" Another pause. "Courtney, Duncan's dead." Shock washed over the girl as tried to respond but the words seemed stuck in her throat. She simply just hung up the phone. It was supposed to be the night that she was going to move on from him (though, if you asked the girl she would say that she had been over him for quite a while now). He just couldn't be dead.

As much as she didn't want to, and as much as she tried to stop them by attempting to convince herself that Duncan was a prick who probably deserved it, she cried herself to sleep that night. She felt guilty that the man had died hating her, and some part of her felt terrible that she wouldn't be able to hear his voice again. All of these memories of Duncan came flooding back to her, both good and bad. The time that a raccoon had gotten into their house and they named it Britney. How nervous Duncan was to meet her parents. All the double dates that they had went on with Bridgette and Geoff. Their matching tattoos (that Courtney had _promptly _removed when they broke up). Everything. As she laid muffling tears into her pillowcase she realized a couple of things. The first was how important that Duncan had been in her life. The second was that she regretted how their relationship ended and that she will never get the chance to tell him that.

* * *

It had been nearly a week since Courtney received the news, yet she simply carried on as if nothing had happened, despite the constant thoughts of Duncan creeping up in the back of her head. His funeral was scheduled for Friday, for _tomorrow, _and, regardless of Bridgette's constant pleas, Courtney wasn't planning on attending. The lawyer made sure that her schedule was completely filled for that day, if only to distract her. Courtney simply couldn't go to the funeral. Duncan wouldn't _want_ her at his funeral. He had told her that he never wanted to see her again. It stung the girl to think that he had gotten his wish.

The Hispanic woman had walked through her door on that night, around two hours later than she should have been home because of late client. As much as she didn't want them to be, her thoughts were only on Duncan. The brunette had decided that maybe she would visit his grave once she found the time. She found herself on the phone once again with Bridgette. As much as the girl had loved her best friend, and she did, Courtney could find the blonde real fucking annoying at times- like tonight.

"Court, maybe if you just attend you could get some closure! It would be good for you!" Bridgette pleaded once again, using the same argument as she had been all week.

"I told you nearly six thousand times now that I'm busy!"

"Just move your schedule around! I'm worried about you!" Courtney did feel a twinge of guilt every time that her best friend had thrown those words around.

"I said that I was fine," the brunette meant for those words to come out as strong and reassuring, but her voice didn't match.

"No you're not! Court, please just come to the funeral?"

"No!" and that was the last of it. Frustrated with nearly everything, the lawyer hung up the phone and went to bed, ignoring the fact that it was only eight thirty and she hadn't eaten dinner or taken a shower, or any of the normal things that she typically before bed. She just didn't seem to have the energy for it today. She crawled into her bed and thought of only one thing as she drifted to sleep. Duncan.

* * *

The room seemed much colder than Courtney thought it should be. The half-asleep girl pulled the covers towards her but still felt a shiver roll down her spine. Maybe the power went off last night, taking the heat with it. The girl knew that it had to be around four or so in the morning- typically right before she would wake up and drag herself to the gym. She snuggled closer to her pillow, thoughts drifting once again to Duncan. Stupid Duncan who was always on her mind ever since she got that phone call. Stupid cheating Duncan. Stupid, sweet Duncan. Stupid Duncan who shouldn't even be dead. She couldn't help but to groan. Then she heard it.

It was a laugh. It wasn't just any laugh however, it was Duncan's deep chuckle. She would know it anywhere. Courtney thought that she was imagining things, and just tossed and turn some more, in an attempt to cover her ears with her pillow. Then she heard it again. It sounded so real, almost like he was actually there. The girl couldn't decided if it was the stress or the grief that was making her this crazy.

Realizing that it was useless to try to get anymore sleep, she furiously kicked off the covers and hopped out of bed. Maybe going to the gym would do her some good. She flicked on the light in her room and turned to get dressed, but stopped once she saw the blue eyes of her ex boyfriend staring back at her. His signature shit-eating grin was planted on his face as he sized her up and down.

"Sup, babe."

* * *

**A/N: **

**Hi! So this idea just sort of came to me, and the first seven chapters along with the penultimate chapter are actually drafted out! **

**I might post the next chapter tomorrow actually because I'm pretty happy with it (and there won't be as much awkward line breaks I promise).**

**Anyways, if you liked the story or have anything to say, please leave a review! ^^**

**Jennavieve~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Total Drama._**

* * *

Courtney could feel her eyes go wide and the color drain from her face. She thought she would scream, but didn't. Duncan looked nearly the same since she last saw him, save that his neon green mohawk was gone and his clothes- well, they were covered in blood, and a lot of it! He had scratches all over his body and a black eye. But there was something else about him. Something in his eyes that was a bit different. Courtney couldn't quite figure it out.

Then she remembered that he wasn't alive. His body was sitting in some cask somewhere waiting to be burried. That little detail only scared the brunette more. If he was killed in that car crash, then why was he sitting in her room talking to her?

"Duncan," she started, the apprehension clear in her voice. "You're supposed to be-"

"Dead?" The way that he said that word, with his face contorting into a smirk sent another wave of chills down the Hispanic girl's spine. This wasn't happening. Courtney began to panic, backing further and further away from Duncan. He wasn't dead and he came to hurt her. His blue eyes remained fixated on Courtney, filled with the same contempt that she remembered from when she kicked him out. He definitely wasn't here for a friendly visit, which seemed rather obvious now since he had broke into her home in the middle of the night!

"Duncan-" she didn't know what to say. As she said his name, a heartless laugh filled the room. This wasn't real, this _couldn't _ be real.

And that's when Courtney's rational side kicked in. She was dreaming. She had to be. Her ex was dead and the the wake in his honor that was happening tomorrow only proved it. It did bring a little comfort to the lawyer to know that she was dreaming. That, or maybe she was just crazy. Either way, this vision of her _dead_ ex boyfriend still frightened her. Why did it seem as if her dreams were getting more realistic? Why did he seem so real, and not like some fuzzy memory like normal when she thought of him.

"What's a matter, babe? Cat got your tongue?" He taunted, looking at the girl as if he wanted nothing more than for her to be scared of him. This only caused Courtney to flare up in anger.

"No! And even so, Duncan. You're not actually here. You're dead, and I'm just dreaming," the Harvard grad of a girl said matter-of-fact.

Courtney became defensive as soon as she heard Duncan chuckle. This was the third time this morning that that cold, empty laugh had echoed through her room. And everytime it succeeded getting under Courtney's skin and irritating her to no end. Duncan always seemed to be able to bring out that side in the girl.

"You're just as difficult as I remember, but guess again, sweetheart." Maybe she wasn't so far off about the 'faking his own death' scenario. She just needed proof that he wasn't actually here. The brunette walked towards the blood-covered delinquent and reached out her hand to touch him, only to have her hand instantly go through the man, giving her goosebumps. A little bit of releif washed over Courtney as her theory had been confirmed; she was only dreaming.

"You're not here." The dead man rolled his eyes at that remark.

"Have you ever heard of a ghost, babe?" No. No. _No._ They both knew for a fact that Courtney didn't believe in ghosts. When they were dating, the punk took her to watch some stupid horror movie about ghosts, thinking that Courtney would get scared and he could protect her or whatever. The girl didn't even flinch. She later called the movie "stupid" and claimed that ghosts were an irrational fear. Once you were dead, you were, well...dead. Or at least that's what courtney had thought. Now, with the room being so cold, and Duncan seeming so real, she wasn't as sure. She wasn't about to tell Duncan that, however.

"Duncan, that's stupid. You're just on my mind because today is the day of your funeral. You're dead. Ghosts aren't real. I'm just imagining things," the girl muttered, sounding less convincing than before.

"Whatever you say, but I AM a spirit or a ghost or whatever the fuck that you want to call it- and YOU ARE stuck with me until I take care of my 'unfinished business' or some shit like that." It dawned on Courtney that Duncan must have really hated her if he wanted to spend his free time stalking her in the afterlife. But, she was still sticking with the theory that she was crazy. The other option was just too unnerving for her. Maybe she would just book an appointment with that therapist that one of her dumbass clients went on about every now and again.

"Well, Duncan. If you really are a 'spirit' or whatever, then why don't you do us both a favor and stalk someone who actually likes you, like I don't know, _Gwen_," she spat. She could see Duncan slightly flinch at her outburst, but he instantly regained his composure and rolled his eyes.

"Well, gee, you weren't exactly my first choice to haunt, your highness." Courtney scoffed at his comment. "You were just the first one that could see me," he said a lot softer. Well, that part only caused her to scrunch up her brows in confusion. Now she definitely knew that she was hallunicating. Either way, she wasn't about to do her ex boyfriend's bidding. Courtney had a career that she worked hard in, a nice home to take care of, and...Bridgette. Well, she could also go on a couple more dates with Justin to see where that led. Hell, even the option of leaving her job and becoming a carnie sounded more appealing than helping her dead ex. _The Same ex who she had spent the last couple of days morning. _Courtney shook her head and tried to get any thoughts that said this might be a good thing out of her head.

"I'm sorry, jackass. But I don't really care about your dumb dilemma and still don't really believe that you're here. So how about you do us both a favor and FUCK OFF." She turned the handle and opened the door of her room, figuring that maybe some breakfast or whatever would help her regain some of her sanity. This was stopped when Duncan simply flicked his wrists and caused the door to slam shut in the process, rattling the entire house. Courtney may not have been completely sold on the whole ghost thing, but that was surly some hard evidence in his case.

"I believe that you have a funeral to go to, sweetheart."

"No." That was all that Courtney said. She wouldn't go to Duncan's funeral; she _couldn't_ go to Duncan's funeral. The lawyer had specifically overbooked her schedule to ensure that she wouldn't be able to make Duncan's wake- and that she was too busy to have her mind wander over to the boy.

"Yes, you are. I need some closure." God, even in her imagination (as Courtney was still trying to convince herself was the case) Duncan was a selfish prick.

"Duncan," she said his name as if she were talking to a two year old. "In case you haven't noticed, I really don't give a FUCK about your problems. Just go float your fucking wake or whatever you 'GHOSTS' do and leave me alone. In case you haven't noticed, I work for one of the top law firms in the Northeast and am supposed to go up to fricken New Hampshire today and meet with a client, not frolick around, tending to your every need and pretend to be the ghost whisperer."

"Stop being so stubborn, Courtney. You can drive up to Maine or whatever some other time, I only have one funeral."

"God, did you even listen to me? First of all, I said New Hampshire. And secondly, I DON'T CARE IF YOU NEED MY HELP, DUNCAN." There was a long pause, and Courtney was getting ready to turn and leave again, but he next words that Duncan said stopped her in her tracks.

"I need you," he muttered, barely above a whisper. "You're the only one who can see me." She could feel her defenses breaking at his very words. Damn Duncan for having that effect on her. However, Courtney was determined to not let him get to her like this, she still wasn't all too sure that this was even happening.

"Well, maybe you should've thought about that when you were fucking Gwen behind my back," the words were harsh, but Courtney's voice carried more hurt in it than anything. For a second, she thought that she saw a twinge of guilt pass through Duncan's eyes.

"Please, Courtney." Those words completely broke her. She looked at Duncan, and instead of seeing the cocky bastard who appeared before her when she woke up, she saw someone who looked, well scared, and Duncan was never scared. If it was any normal person, Courtney would have just walked out of the room and not looked back, but Duncan wasn't just anyone, he was her first love.

She bit her lip, mulling her decision over in her head carefully. She still thought that she was dreaming, so going to the funeral would be pointless- plus she really didn't feel like seeing Gwen or Duncan's family. She also had a huge meeting today, and it wouldn't look to professional if the girl cancelled last minute. At the same time however, maybe this was a sign that she should go to Duncan's wake. She was probably feeling guilty for deciding not to go, and even though things ended badly, Duncan had still meant a lot to her at one point. And, hey, maybe this imaginary Duncan would leave her alone if she went to the funeral and finally said goodbye to him. She looked over to Duncan one more time and knew what her decision had to be, she just hoped that she wouldn't regret it.

* * *

**A/N:**

** This was the first chapter that I actually wrote. It's a little on the short side, especially considering that the draft of the next chapter hit around 4,000 words, but I thought that it was a good ending point.**

**I'll try to put the next chapter up sometime in the next coming week!**

**Judging by the comments that you guys left, some of you might not like this chapter too much, but I think that you'll all love the ending- I have a few tricks up my sleeve!**

**If you have the time, please leave a review and tell me what you think ^^**

**Jenna~**


	3. Chapter 3

**Before we start, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that reviewed/favorited/followed my story! It really made my day ^^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Total Drama._**

* * *

After she had agreed to go to the funeral, Duncan had simply disappeared. Courtney figured that she was right about him just being her guilty conscious nagging her. The brunette put on a modest black dress, and threw her hair up into a tight bun. She couldn't help but to feel uncomfortable about the entire situation, really. From Duncan talking to her to the funeral in which she would see more than a few faces that she had spent the last couple of years avoiding. And Duncan's body! Courtney couldn't help but to find it a little strange to even think that her ex was laying lifeless in some church just waiting to be buried in the ground. That thought alone seemed to make the situation even more unnerving than it had been.

Maybe that was why the young lawyer couldn't even stomach a bowl of cereal that morning and took more than a couple of Advils before getting ready. Oh, it was going to be a long day. She hadn't bothered to call Bridgette before hand (as she typically would do around this time), figuring that she would see the girl anyways, and her best friend's constant fussing over Courtney would cause more stress than needed. In fact, Courtney had not done anything that she would usually do around this time of day. She did not watch Fox news or even think about checking her schedule and her emails. Instead, she left the house a little earlier than needed, feeling more and more uneasy as the clock ticked away.

The Hispanic woman gripped the steering wheel tighter and tighter as she drove closer to the site of the wake. Her head only seemed to pound more as she argued over the phone with her secretary, Noah Patel, about rescheduling her appointments for today- sighting a family emergency as her excuse. It took most of the girl's willpower simply not to snap at Noah and his sarcastic remarks as he went over the schedule for the upcoming week. She almost lost it when he suggested that she take some more time off to try anger management. Noah could be a real prick at times. It didn't help that she was caught in the middle of Boston traffic that seemed to never move. Between her secretary's comments and her traveling conditions, Courtney wondered why she didn't take the bottle of Advil with her. Maybe she should just turn back around.

By some miracle, traffic began to pick up, and Courtney found herself at the church not much later from when she hung up on Noah. She felt like an utter fool walking through the doors. It wasn't much of a stretch to say that she was out of place. Her dress was maybe a little too professional and the dread that she carried was brought on by an entirely different reason compared to everyone else. Most people who were in the church were talking about Duncan and how tragic his accident had been. Courtney decided to ignore them.

She slid into an uninhabited pew and couldn't help but to feel strange surrounded by Duncan's friends and family. Something that she was neither of. There were a few faces that in attendance that Courtney recognized from when she dated the delinquent, such as his solemn parents in the front, Duncan's buddy DJ, and a couple of his coworkers from miscellaneous jobs.

Courtney felt a slight twinge of relief when Bridgette, accompanied by a sobbing Geoff, joined her. Bridgette gave her friend a light nudge and told the girl that this would be good for her. That closure was what Courtney needed. The brunette only wished that she could have believed her friend. Geoff nodded in agreement to his girlfriend's words, still crying. This annoyed Courtney more than it should have. She did know that Geoff and Duncan were close, however, and with Bridgette wedged in between them Courtney just bit her tongue and gave Geoff a small smile. The church became more crowded, and the closer it was to when the funeral started, the more Geoff seemed to cry. Courtney only HAD so much patience, and with all that was going on this past week, she was in a shorter supply than normal. She was about to snap at the blonde, but before the words could escape her mouth a slight chill had cut through the air and she felt goosebumps creep up all throughout her body.

A voice whispered to Courtney: "tell Geoff that she was my best friend." The girl didn't want to turn around and look, she knew who would be there. Regardless, she cocked her head to the side to find Duncan- the same figment that was in her home mere hours ago floating above the pew right next to her. Courtney's eyes widened, alarmed that the vision of her _dead_ ex boyfriend had appeared again. She thought that he was only her guilty conscious, telling her to go to the funeral. Courtney, in fact, was so certain that he would not pop up again if she just showed up. Now she feared that she was crazy.

The brunette peered around the church to see if anyone had noticed him, or her, or anything that was going on. Duncan had rolled his eyes at this. Panic began to seep into the girl when she realized that she was the only one seeing him. That therapist was starting to sound better and better.

"Yes, I'm really here, Einstein. Now tell Geoff." Regardless of whether Duncan was actually there or not, his biting comment enraged Courtney. The tan girl's face flushed in anger, causing her freckles to pop out and her jaw to set. She was about to snap at him, to tell him to fuck off and leave her alone, but a nudge from Bridgette stopped her. The blonde looked at her best friend, slightly confused by the angry expression that she was wearing on her face.

"Are you okay, Court?" she asked with this look of concern in her eyes that made Courtney feel slightly ashamed. She regained some of the composure that she had lost due to Duncan's appearance, and gave Bridgette a nod.

"Just tell him, babe. I mean look at the guy, he looks like a kicked puppy!" _Or like someone who had just lost their best friend. _Courtney didn't really know why she was complying to this jerk's demands. Maybe it was because she was at his funeral, or because Geoff really did look like he needed someone to cheer him up. Or because she was insane. It didn't matter her reasoning, she still agreed.

"Hey, Geoff…" she said softly, gaining both Geoff's and Bridgette's attention.

"Y-yeah, Mocha?" he quivered. Almost all of Courtney's patience was lost at the sheer patheticness of the party boy and that infuriating nickname that he called her. Not even Duncan's _parents_ were sobbing this much!

"You were Duncan's best friend," Courtney spat out, gritting her teeth. Bridgette threw an appreciative glance at her friend, failing to notice that aggravated glint in the girl's eyes.

"I know, Moch, I know." Courtney huffed as Geoff began to cry harder, receiving all of his girlfriend's attention. Clearly her sympathy did nothing but make the blonde more upset, and now she was annoyed that she had even tried. Instead of watching Geoff cry some more, Courtney turned her attention to Duncan, and all of the unanswered questions that he brought with him, like as to why he was still showing up.

His focus wasn't on her, however. It was on...well, everyone else. She watched as Duncan's eyes wandered on the throng of people in attendance; from his parents to his brothers to his coworkers, never lingering for too long on one group of people. Instead, he seemed to be taking it all in.

"I didn't know that all of these people cared," he said rather quietly, more to himself than to Courtney. She simply chose to remain silent, instead trying to read the expression on Duncan's face. That was one thing that always annoyed the girl about her ex. To him, she was an open book. He always seemed to be able to pinpoint her emotions and know what she was feeling, but he was always a mystery to her. Especially right now when she wasn't even sure that he was really there.

The one thing that she did know about Duncan, perhaps more than he wanted her to, was how incredibly sweet the man could be when he wanted to. Like now, when he floated over to his sobbing best friend and tried (in vain) to get Geoff to hear a word that he was saying.

"Geoff, stop being a fucking pussy, man! I'm right here!" Well, sweet for Duncan that is. Courtney could see Duncan growing frustrated at the sight of Geoff and how he could do nothing about it- how no one seemed to notice him here, at his _own_ funeral. His blue eyes landed once again on Courtney, and she felt her blood run cold. This couldn't be happening.

"You really cared about him," she whispered when Duncan had given up and made his way back over to Courtney, upset at the situation that he was in.

"Well, no shit. He was my best fucking friend," the figment snapped, probably annoyed that someone who he despised was there to witness his act of kindness.

"Shut up! I was only trying to help!" the girl retorted, a little too loud as it caught the attention of Bridgette, Geoff, and several of those seated around the group.

"Courtney!" Bridgette chastised, with a look of bewilderment upon her face. This was only made worse by the disapproving glances that were being thrown the brunette's way, along with Duncan laughing at her misery. Prick.

"Bridgette! No, I wasn't talking to Geoff!"

"Then...who were you talking to?" the blonde questioned, with a disbelieving expression.

"Uh…" Courtney was lost for words- something that seemed to be happening frequently this past week. She couldn't exactly explain to Bridgette that she was snapping at her dead ex boyfriend that she imagined talking to her. That would be crazy. Plus, knowing Bridgette, she would think that Courtney was either lying or that she snapped due to all the pressure that she was under.

"Say that you were on your bluetooth," Duncan suggested. And, however bad the suggestion was, it was the only one that she had.

"I was, um, on my bluetooth, Bridge?" Courtney repeated, rather unconvincingly.

"We're going to need to talk later, Court. I'm worried about you." Bridgette told the girl who groaned and murmured that she was fine. The brunette's temple's seemed to throb even more than they had been, and she chose to sit in silence until the wake commenced.

* * *

The service began as these things normally did. A preacher led the entire church in a prayer and went on an entire monologue about the life of Duncan Evans. The man made a comment about how Duncan was in the arms of the lord now, which the Duncan to Courtney's right snorted at. As much as the girl tried to pay attention to the service, she could only think about the figment of a man sitting next to her. In that moment, Courtney would have given anything to know what he was thinking- what he was feeling. Anything. Especially with that sorrowful expression planted on his face. Sure, Duncan was a lot of things, but never really remorseful. She briefly wondered if he felt guilty about dying. It was beyond his control, really. A car accident.

Duncan visibly winced when people began to go up and say a few things about him. The first was his friend DJ, who spoke about the time that Duncan rescued a bunny for him. Courtney received a glare from Duncan at this, since she was the one who told DJ about the deed.

Geoff was next, although it was rather hard to understand him as he spent the majority of his speech weeping. Courtney did catch him telling some story about the good times that he and Duncan had together. It had something to do with one of Geoff's wild parties that didn't seem to appropriate of a tale for the event. Having said that, there was still something somewhat touching about his speech. It was hard for Courtney to watch. She couldn't even imagine how Duncan must be feeling. She looked over at him once again, to find that his expression had not gotten any better. If anything, it looked like he just wanted to disappear and forget that all of this was even happening. As much as she wanted to hate Duncan and rejoice in the misery that he was feeling, she really couldn't. Courtney tried to think of something to say to him- of some words that would make this better but there were none. She had no idea what it would be like to watch your own funeral and those you love mourn you.

Instead, Courtney said the only words that she could possibly say at a time like this: "It will be okay." His blue eyes flickered on her for a moment, as if he were trying to read between her words- to see if there was an ulterior motive of if she actually felt bad. Which she did.

"I know, Court!" Bridgette whispered from the other side of the girl, thinking that Courtney was talking to her. The brunette simply gave the girl a small smile.

The thought that Duncan wasn't actually there kept creeping in the back of Courtney's mind, but the look on the man's face next to her told her otherwise. He just seemed so real. Too real to be in her imagination.

Duncan's brother's went up next. Both of them. They spoke about when Duncan was a little kid, and the pranks that they used to pull on their father (which received a laugh from the audience). Overall, it was the same speech that Courtney had just heard two times over, but Caleb said something in the end that really stuck to her.

"Duncan wouldn't want us to be upset that he is gone, he would want us to celebrate him- to be happy that he had found peace and raise a little hell for my little brother." Courtney glanced over at the deceased criminal who couldn't seem to be more proud. He was smirking, and not the malicious smirk that she had seen this morning. He seemed genuinely pleased at his brother's conclusion. It made Courtney feel slightly better about the situation.

His mother, Linda began to clap at Caleb's words- and it only made Duncan smile more. "Take care of her when I cross over, will ya?" the dead man asked. This was something that Courtney had to oblige to. She always did like Linda, who was always warm and kind. She was kind of like mother to Courtney- something that was extra nice considering that young lawyer's own mom was rather absentee most of the girl's childhood.

Courtney could almost feel Duncan tense up as his father made his way to the front in order to say a few words about his deceased son. The brunette knew that he and his dad never really did get along. Duncan's first arrest was at the hands of his father. When they were dating, he had told Courtney that he and his dad would argue the majority of the time he was home, and it resulted in the delinquent moving out at the age of seventeen. One time, when the man was a little more drunk than he should have, the punk had asked Courtney if his father had loved him. She wasn't really sure. But here he was, standing in front of church.

"Duncan and I had always had our up and downs," the deceased man next to Courtney rolled his eyes at that statement. "But he was my son- my youngest son- and I loved him more than you could imagine. When he was little, we used to go down to the station and Duncan would spend hours playing in his toy cop truck saying that he wanted to be just like me when he grew up. Even though he became nearly the exact opposite- I always admired how he wasn't afraid to be himself. He had guts. My boy was had such a funeral and it still hasn't really settled in that he's gone. I loved him so much and I'm not sure that he even knew that...I just…" He never finished that sentence. Instead, he broke down in sobs and sat back down. The look on Duncan's face was nearly unreadable.

"I didn't know that he felt that way," the man said, his voice carrying regret. Courtney reached out to grab the punk's hand, but her own just went straight threw it. There was really nothing that she could do.

She was too caught up in her own thoughts to hear the preacher asking if anyone else had wanted to say a few words, and she wasn't really prepared for what came next. Courtney looked back to the front, to find the last person that she wanted to see. Gwen.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry about the cliffhanger, guys! And I can totally picture Geoff sobbing like that at a funeral!**

**Anyways, I actually meant to get this chapter out like four days ago, but I really didn't like the draft that I had, so I scraped it.**

**Then I had some technical difficulties that I won't get into, but I spent all morning typing this up on my brand new laptop ^^**

**I'm not crazy about this chapter, and I might go back and edit it. I'm not really sure.**

**Anyways, thank you for reading and if you have the time, review! ^^**

**Jen~**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Total Drama._**

Courtney's thoughts were centered around her dead ex boyfriend and his expression when Gwen was speaking. She didn't know why why she felt bad for Duncan, or why she even cared. She kept telling herself that it was just because he had died.

Gwen had barely changed since the last time that Courtney had seen her. The teal streaks that previously stained her hair were gone, however, and the laced black dress that the girl was wearing fit her like a glove, illuminating her pale skin as she faced the crowd to speak about Duncan.

Her voice was shaky, speaking about the times that the pair had shared, and there was a lot of them, from the non stop horror movie marathons to the time they got a pet tarantula, to their first kiss. Courtney pursed her lips at that one, glaring at the asshole next to her, who was too caught up in Gwen to notice. Funny.

"Duncan was the best friend that I could ever ask for, and I know that if he was here right now he would probably pick on me for being so sentimental and corny, but I really did love him," Gwen went on, smiling sadly at the dead punk's casket as the crowd either nodded sympathetically at her loss, like Bridgette, much to Courtney's annoyance, or cried even harder for the lost soul.

"This is bullshit," Duncan whispered to the brunette as Gwen's speech carried on.

"Huh. You guys broke up?" the young lawyer asked him, receiving a nudge from her blonde best friend for being so rude.

"Courtney!" Bridgette exclaimed. The girl in question decided to ignore her.

"Gwen and I? Nah." Courtney didn't know why she felt a prickle of disappointment. She was over Duncan when he died, in fact, she was better off without him. It passed through her mind that maybe it was just because he was a jackass who cheated on her and then got to be happy because of it. And, if only for her sanity, the Latina held onto that thought.

"Nah, babe, it's bullshit because I'm fuckin' dead and I never knew how any of these people felt about me, ya know?" She didn't, really, but nodded her head anyways. Duncan scowled at her. "No, you don't because you're fucking alive."

"Shut up! God why am I even helping you!" She snapped, having the entire congregation look on upon her, especially because it was during _Gwen's_ speech. Courtney, either didn't notice, or she didn't care because she continued her rant. "Ever since this morning you have been a pain in my ass! I am trying to understand you, but you and your juvenile comments are making it impossible!" She said, appearing to argue to the empty spot on the pew next to her, making every onlooker think that she was crazy. Maybe she was.

"Court…" Bridgette tried to cut in, worried for her friend.

"Helping me? All you did was go to this dumb ass funeral, darling. You're about as much help as Scruffy."

"Well, if I'm so useless then why don't you just fuck off and leave me alone!"

"Uh...Mocha, who are you talking to?" Geoff asked, confused exactly as to what was going on. Duncan just rolled his eyes, and before Courtney could even blink, he was gone. The brunette immediately left the church, not bothering to give her regrets to the family or apologize for her outburst. She felt like a fool, and the entire car ride back to her home was filled with her wondering if he would show up again.

* * *

As soon as she walked through the door of her house, she went to bed. The girl felt insane. Duncan drove her insane. And while she didn't believe in ghosts, nor did she want to believe that one of her ex boyfriend was talking to her, it was happening. Maybe she should actually consider Noah's remarks about seeing a therapist.

The next morning, Courtney felt groggy. She sat on her couch, listening to the local news station rave about the Red Sox, and skimmed through her emails, trying, and failing, to block the events from yesterday out of her head.

Her thoughts were only on Duncan, however, as she hastily got ready for work, ignoring her constantly ringing phone, and consequently Bridgette. She slid into an olive pantsuit that complimented her skin tone, then proceeded to go into the bathroom and throw on some makeup.

Courtney sighed when she saw her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were bloodshot, with dark circles under them, and her typically polished hair was knotted and frizzy. She looked like she hadn't slept for days. The lawyer began to run a brush through her thick, shoulder length-hair, cussing out Duncan, and Noah, and work in the process. But mainly just Duncan.

"God, I was only trying to help! He is such a jackass!" She complained to herself while applying a coat of mascara.

"Frankly, babe, I'm hurt," a thick voice chimed in, cutting through the girl's rant. She nearly jumped out her skin upon realizing that he was here again, and would probably haunt her forever. Courtney let out a groan, wanting nothing more for him to go away.

"Nice to see ya too, sunshine," he said, with a bit of bitterness.

"Duncan," Courtney began. She just couldn't find the words to continue on, however.

"I'm still here," he muttered, but it sounded more like a question than a statement. Courtney stopped what she was doing, and turned to face him. Throughout the entire course of their relationship Courtney had never seen him this afraid. Regardless of whether or not he was just a hallucination, a rare wave of sympathy washed over the girl. He was just as confused by the entire situation as she was.

"Duncan, what do you want me to do?" she asked. Courtney was at her wit's end. She thought that he would stop appearing if she just went to his wake, but here he was.

"I don't really know." Courtney rubbed the temples on her head. She knew what he wanted. She knew what he needed; help. And, because Courtney was the only one who could even see him, she realized that it was up to her

* * *

**A/N: Hi, guys, please don't be so mad at me for taking a break from this story, or in fan fiction in general. My uncle recently passed away, so I haven't been too excited on writing about a funeral, and my hours switched at work because they lost a lot of people in my department.**

**You see, I used to only work on Fridays and Saturdays (and I have to wear a blue shirt, hence Blue Saturday hahaha), but now I'm getting about twenty three or so hours a week, on top of school.**

**Anyways, I'm really sorry about how short this chapter is (it was more of a filler because I haven't written it in a while) and my hiatus and everything in general. **

**The next chapter is already written, and I promise you guys that I will post it on my next off day, and I'm very excited for it!**

**Also, I love the Red Sox, so I enjoy throwing them in there :p**

**Thank you so much for reading and I hoped that you enjoyed it ^^**

**Love, Jen.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own _Total Drama._**

* * *

The girl sat in her office waiting for the headache of her next client to arrive; Heather Chang. Heather was already around thirty minutes late, and being the last client of the day, Courtney didn't really have anything to do other than to wait.

Courtney turned her attention to the search engine bar on her computer. Before she could stop herself, she typed the word: ghost. The results, however, were not really want she wanted. They were all about some movie with Demi Moore. Annoyed, she refined her question a bit.

'Why are some spirits trapped on Earth?' She typed into the search bar. This led her to a page with possible theories in explanations. Courtney wasn't typically one to believe in spirits, but with Duncan constantly appearing, the only option was either that she was hallucinating (something that she has not completely ruled out yet) or, well, that he was a ghost.

She began to read the page over in her head.

_An Earthbound spirit is one who has not completely passed over and is stuck in a parallel between Heaven and Hell._

_Reasons for an Earthbound spirit may vary, but there are several theories and potential causes._

_1) Some spirits remain because their death was so sudden, that they don't even realize that they're dead. They are often scared and confused as to what is going on, and will remain bound to Earth until they get an explanation._

Courtney ruled out that one for Duncan, as on the first day he appeared to her, he called himself a ghost. And even if Duncan was confused for a bit, he was a smart enough guy to figure it out, especially because he was still covered in blood. She decided to continue reading.

_2) Some spirits realize that they are dead but may choose stay behind because they feel the need to take care of their friends and family. This could be brought on by guilt, like from a victim who died from a drug overdose, and feels responsible for causing their death and bringing their love ones grief._

Courtney decided that this could be an option. Maybe Duncan wasn't wearing a seat belt or something, she only wished that she stayed on the phone longer with Caleb to get more details. And, who knows where Duncan's spirit was now? When he wasn't with her, Courtney wondered what he would do. It wasn't like Duncan had anywhere to be, and he also couldn't transfer back between the 'afterlife' or whatever and this world. Maybe he was watching over his family. Or Gwen.

_3) Some spirits remain on Earth because they are scared of what the afterlife might bring…_

Courtney immediately stopped reading this one and moved on because she KNEW Duncan, and she knew that he wasn't afraid of something like that.

_4) The spirit has unfinished business. It could be anything, like finances that need to be taken care of, or maybe a message that needs to be said. They will often contact the living for assistance._

This one so far seemed like the most likely option. She didn't really know- or want to know what 'unfinished business' Duncan had, but it looked like she was going to have to help him take care of it.

_5) Lastly, some spirits remained on Earth because someone is tying them down to Earth. The person has not gotten over the grieving process, may be feeling guilty, or like they have left things unsaid. Until the person is able to let the spirit go, they will remain bounded on Earth._

Courtney had to think for a minute on that one. Could it be that maybe Duncan's mother or Geoff or Gwen were holding his spirit to the Earth? Just then, another question dawned on Courtney. Why was she the only one who was able to see him? She was about to look it up, when Duncan appeared.

"Googling me, darling?" he smirked.

"Shut up. I was just trying to see what the hell was keeping you here, and find a solution that will help you disappear AND NOT BUG ME ANYMORE."

"Yeah, whatever," he grumbled.

"Duncan, I have a question…" he raised his eyebrows waiting for a response and Courtney decided to continue. "Where do you um, go?"

"Uh, I think I'll probably go to hell but I'm not really sure, I've just been roaming this town since I died…" There was a lull in the conversation, as Duncan didn't really deem her question important.

"That's...not what I meant," the brunette muttered.

"Then, what did you mean?"

"Where do you go when you're not...talking to me?" Duncan stiffened a bit.

"Um, you know, places."

"I'm trying to help, Duncan, God knows why...but please answer my freaking question so we can figure out why you're stuck here."

"Normally I just watch over my family, sometimes Geoff and Gwen too…."

"Oh." Courtney found that actually kind of sweet, although a bit creepy.

"Yeah, actually, Courtney, I was thinking about it and I think that I know why I'm stuck here…" Courtney raised her eyebrows in surprise, but then waited for his theory. Duncan however, began to fidget, clearly stalling.

"WELL SPIT IT OUT ALREADY."

"I think that-" he was interrupted by the buzzer in her office going off.

"Courtney, if you're done talking to yourself, Heather Chang is here to see you," Noah Patel's sarcastic voice rang through the office. Courtney groaned. Noah wasn't the best secretary in the world. He worked here part time while he attended classes at M.I.T and apparently listened in on her when he should have been working! He probably thought that she was insane- hell, COURTNEY thought that she was insane. She heard the door click open and watched as Heather took a seat in her office, flipping her raven hair back and scowling.

"Sorry, I was late, Ms. Martinez," she said in an artificial tone.

"No she isn't" Duncan whispered to the young lawyer. Courtney only scowled realizing that je hadn't left yet. "Ya know, Heather and I go waaaaay back, like grade school. She was the first chick that I banged." Courtney grimaced at that information, causing the Asian woman sitting in her office to scowl (as she clearly thought Courtney's expression was due to her tardiness) and Duncan laughed.

"Yes, it is alright, Ms. Chang. May you please tell me why you request my services?" Heather was actually a frequent client of Courtney's. She had a lot of enemies. Heather was wealthy, attractive and a total bitch. It seemed like half of the city of Boston had a reason to sue her.

"Right, well you see, I want to sue that scumbag Lighting Carter- you know him, That football player or whatever?"

"Aw, Carter is mad good. He could help the Pats go to the superbowl!" Courtney scowled a bit at Duncan's interruption.

"Yes, I believe that I've seen Mr. Carter play before. What reason do you have for taking actions against him?"

"Right. Well, that scumbag rented out one of the hotels that I own, and totally trashed it!"

"Oh yeah, that happened like right before I died! Lightning Carter spent like all of his endorsement money renting out the fucking place and like there was a fire on the second floor! Place was fuckin' packed with like hookers and shit." Courtney pretended to take notes while Duncan spoke, as if not to throw Heather off.

"Yes, I think that I did hear about that on the news. I'm surprised that you waited this long to press charges, has it happened a few weeks ago. Normally, you're quite quick about this."

"Well, Ms. Martinez, I was on vacation in Aruba when it happened, and then I waited a bit longer to get a damage estimate." Courtney nodded. This was going to be an easy case. TMZ and ESPN had already surfaced several photos of the damage.

"Right. If I were you I would press charges for the repairs, and wages lost for when the hotel was closed."

"Exactly, plus he bought that freaking GANG into my hotel!" The client spat. Courtney failed to notice Duncan's eyes go wide to the side of her at Heather's word. "I think that maybe I should get the police to INVESTIGATE Mr. Carter a bit and see if he is affiliated with them!" Courtney sighed, saying that she would see what she could do. The conversation continued on a bit, and Heather left the office feeling quite satisfied that she could get all of her money back, and then some!

"Well, at least Ms. Chang actually seems to have a valid reason to sue someone this time! Not her normal reasons like her coffee being too cold or someone looking at her funny!" Courtney muttered.

"Yeah, um, as much as I love to hate on that bitch too, we need to talk." She glanced over at Duncan noticing for the first time just how on the edge he was.

"Duncan what's-"

"Courtney, I don't think that my death was an accident."

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry for my cliffhanger, I'm a terrible person.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this, and I will update soon! ^^**

**Jenna~**


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